Piano.



P. M. BORJA.

PIANO. APPUCAUOM min mAY 31. um.

,2 SHEETS-SHEET1.

P. M. SORIA.

PIANO.

APPLICATON FILED MAY 31,1917.

4S lmem Feb. 1S, ww.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

ormoni. l

PHILJP M. BORJA, F NEW' YORK, N. Y.

PIANO.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 1s, 1919.

applicati@ filed Hay a1, 1917. seria1No.`171,e1o.

To all 'whom 'it 'may concern:

Be it known that I, Planar M. BORJA? a citizen of Mexico, (first United States eltizenship papers taken out,) and a residentl of the city of New4 York, borough of Manhattan, in the county and State of New York, have invented a new and Improved Fiano, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description. .f

rlhis. invention relates to pianos and has .for an object the provision of an improved construction wherein the keys willbe on the .same plane or substantially the same plane as the upper surface of the body of the piano.

Another object in view is to provide an improved arrangement ior" music desk which may be folded so as to cover the keys and to complete the covering ofthe top of the mechanism of the piano. A still further object of the invention is to provide a folding top for a piano which may be opened to any desired extent from a small. opening; to a complete hinging of the top `=pieces along the sides.

In the accompanying drawings Figure 1 is a top plan view of a piano disclosing an embodiment'of the invention.

Fig. 2 is a side view of the structure shown in Fig. 1, the lid being shown in its fully open position.

Fig. 3 is a front view of the pianoV with the top boards or sections in a raised position..

Fig. 4 is a detail fragmentary sectional View through Fig. 1 on line 4 4.

Fig. 5 is an enlarged detail fragmentary sectional view showing the arrangement of hinge for the top members or boards.

Referring to the accompanying drawings by numerals, 1 indicates suitable supporting legs which may be of any kind, the ysame being connected with a case 2 of any preferred kind, said case sup-porting in the usual manner the members 3y which include the pedals l for operating certain parts of partially the mechanism as the p-iano is being played.

Arranged at the front of the piano is a keys, board 5 positioned slightly above the topof the' piano, whereby the operators lingers can be seen across the piano from any Vdirection. In forming the top or lid of the pia-no same is dividedrinto sections 6 and 7, shown in Fig. ,131, section 7 having an iliary section B/hinged to the main part -the section, as shown in Fig. 2, whereby the same'may be folded forwardly if desired. These sections are hinged to the case 2 by suitable hinges 21 and 22 so as to be raised as shown in Fig. 'pand held supported by the props 10 and 10 or be. moved completely over so as to 4occupy the position shown in full lines in Fig. 2 and dotted lines in Fig. 3. When in the folded position as shown in Fig. 1 the lids are supported by resting against the edges of the case and against thel transverse bar 11. As indicated in Figs. 1 and 4:' the lid o the piano is notched or cut-away at 7 in l order that the ease-l body 16 may lie flush with the top of the lid when the parts are folded as shown in figuresl either 1 or 4.

With this arrangement. of lid or lids a specially hinged easel must be provided for the music, and also a cover must be provided for the keys. As shown in Fig. Ll'the cover 12 is hinged at 14 lto the upright 15, and is provided with. an upstanding portion v13 which acts as a music desk when the parts are in the ldotted position shown in F1g. 2. In order t0 hold the cover 12 in the dotted position shown in Fig. 2 an easel body 16 is provided, hinged at 17 to the board 18, said easel body lbeing capable of being raised to the position shown in Fig. 2 and held in such position by a brace 19 pivotally connected to theboard 20. In order to accommodate thisbrace. when 'the .easel body 16 isv in a body 16 and a groove 16 in board 20 accommodates the brace 19 whereby the upper surface of the easel body will lie flush 'with the lid?. The board 20l may be permanently or otherwise positioned in the notch 7 and is of a thickness t illthe notch 7 after the easel body has bee'n'folded. The board 20 is designed to keep 'the top of the piano closed when the easel body 16 is raised in order not tov interfere with the usual musical eli'ect.

When the lid 'sections 6 and 7 are raised as shown in Fig. 3, the same are`-supported by suitable props or braces 10 and .10 and the easel body 16 is also raised and held.. in position by the brace 19. The cover '.12 Iis .then opened and moved to the dotted'position shown in Fig. 2, .whereupon thepiano' ing used the .parts are folded back tothe. p

position shown in Fig. 4, whereupon theop-v erators fingers will be seen from any direction above the piano.

To shut the piano from an open position as shown in Figs. 2 and 3 the cover l2 is 5 moved from the keys and the easel body 1G and associated parts are folded downwardly to the position sho'wn in Fig. 4, after which the lid sections 6 and 7 are folded to a closed position. By this construction and arrange- 10 ment not only are the keys of the piano in substantially thesafne horizontal plane the upper edge of the piano so as to expose the fingers of the operator, but the piano lnay be maintained closed during the play- L ing or may be opened partially or entirely,

according to the size of the room and other 'surronmling conditions. Y' lVhat l claim is: I

1. A piano including a case, a keyboard positioned slightly above the plane of the .upper edge of the case, and a covering niember for said keyboard.

A. piano including a ease, a keyboard Varranged slightly above the plane of the .25 upper edge of said ease, a foldable covering member for the keyboard, said foldable rcovering' memberl being formed with an upstandlng portion actlng as a music desk, and

. an easel body hinged to said case near saidcovering member.

3. A. piano including a ease, a keyboard and a lid for covering said case divided into sections, the respective sections o said lid being hinged to said ease in such a manner as to be. movable through about 270.

4. A piano including a'case, a lid having a notch, a keyboard arranged slightly above therplane of the upper edge of the ease, an leasel body of less thickness than said lid and normally positioned in said notel1,-a1id a covering 'board arranged beneath said easel body in said notch for maintainingl closed said notch when the easel body is moved to an operative position.

5. A piano including a ease, a lid for said ease having a notch, said lid being divided into sections, a board normally filling the loaver part of said notch` an easel body ,resting on said board when in a folded position and iilling` the remaining partl ofsaid notch, said easel body acting as part of the music support when unfolded and elevated, and a covering member for the keyboard of the piano resting when open against said easel body for completing the music support.

PHILP M. BORJA. 

